Page:Guide to the Bohemian section and to the Kingdom of Bohemia - 1906.djvu/27

21 times of Hussitism and the Reformation, when it was renowned for its preachers. It was founded already in the XIth. century, and has actually been since 1310 the principal church of the Old town and (with the exception of the cathedral of St. Vitus) is so even at the present time. The splendid northern porch of this church has no equal in Central Europe and forms naturally the chief attraction for visitors to Prague, besides of a series of pictures by the Bohemian school of painters of the XVIth. and XVIIth. centuries and of the epitaph of the famous astronomer of Rudolph’s time Tycho de Brahe, which the church contains.

A few steps only divide us now from the memorable Old Town-Square (Staroměstské náměstí) the chief attraction of which is the old renowned Town-Hall. It presents a beautiful sight from the end of the Celetná street or from the Týnská lane where we stand at the corner of the interesting house „u Zvonu“ (Bell-house).

Here rises up proudly the high spire of the townhall, once the belfry of the old town, now of the whole city, with a fine gallery which offers a free outlook on all sides. To the left of the tower on the opposite side there is a row of well built houses remarkable for their arcades which are generally a characteristic feature of Bohemian towns, and in Europe are only met with in northern Italy. The high gables of these houses, adorned with pillars,vases and statuettes form a beautiful adjunct to this picture, which by its arrangement and by the particulary local, Prague-like character cannot fail to make a lasting impression on the mind of every visitor. There are not many squares in Europe, with the exception of England, whose history is as rich in great events, as that of this public square of Prague, which was the scene of one of the bloodiest spectacles in modern history, the execution of the 27 chiefs of the religious rebellion of the Protestant Estates against Ferdinand II. in 1621. This event produced powerful commotion in the whole of Europe and particularly in England which at that time had cause to be interested in the kingdom of Bohemia by the fact that the „Winterking“ Frederick had the English princess Elizabeth for wife.

But this square had been both before and after this